In an incident that has ignited a firestorm of public outrage, the family of 10-year-old Quantavious Eason has announced plans to file a federal civil rights lawsuit against a Mississippi city unless immediate actions are taken against the police officers that arrested her child.
Quantavious, a Black child, was arrested and confined to a cell last month after being caught urinating behind a car in a parking lot in Senatobia, Mississippi, per CNN.
His mother, LaToya Eason, was inside a law office at the time, seeking advice on housing issues.
LaToya Eason didn't hold back in her condemnation of the incident. Speaking at a news conference this week, she questioned whether racial bias influenced the officers' decisions, stating: "Would you have put a white child in a cage? If it had been a white child, he probably wouldn't have even been stopped."
The incident gained more traction after Senatobia Police Chief Richard Chandler admitted that the department had mishandled the situation. In an official statement, he revealed that one officer had been terminated, stating: "The officer's decisions violated our written policy and went against our prior training on how to deal with these situations."
Yet, the young boy is still facing legal repercussions for being "a child in need of supervision," a category usually applied to minors considered "habitually disobedient" or ungovernable.
Carlos Moore, the family's attorney, made it clear that they are prepared to go to court if the situation isn't rectified. "They had him put his hands behind his back and they put him in a patrol car and took him to downtown Senatobia, and he called it a cage," Moore said. "We will give Senatobia two weeks to come to this family and settle this pre-litigation, otherwise the federal lawsuit will be filed and we will get this family justice, come hell or high water."
Though Police Chief Richard Chandler has claimed the child was not handcuffed and acknowledged that "an error in judgment" was made, the fact remains that protocol was not followed. Chandler promised that department members would receive further training in dealing with juveniles.
This incident raises urgent questions about the role of race and policing in America, especially in interactions involving minors. It also brings into focus the urgent need for continual training and re-evaluation of police practices to prevent racial bias and uphold justice for all.
As of now, both the city of Senatobia and its police department have remained silent on the issue, not responding to media queries. The Eason family and their attorney, however, vow to pursue justice "come hell or high water," amplifying the call for accountability and social justice reform in law enforcement nationwide.